Dialyzer



DIALYZERS Filedow. 7, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 lll@ , .www

MR ww Patented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIALYZER York Application October 7, 1943, Serial No. 505,396

(Cl. ZID-8.5)

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to dialyzing apparatus and its purpose is to provide an apparatus of this character which is so designed and constructed that it will operate eillciently and at full capacity with liquids which vary widely in viscosity, up to the heaviest and most viscous liquids which are ordinarily subjected to the process of dialysis.

The conventional dialyzer includes a substantial number of liquid cells, adjacent cells being separated by a common membranous dividing wall, there being sometimes more than one hundred cells, such cells being arranged in a series. Each cell of the series is in constant communication with a liquid-delivery and a liquid discharge conduit. The liquid to be dialyzed, hereinafter known as the dialysate, is conventionally introduced into alternate cells at the lower ends thereof and flows path of least resistance, those cells which are more remote from the point of introduction of liquid into the dialyzer oier pathways of greater f liquid therethrough, being similar in shape and upwardly through such cells to escape through apertures at the tops to immediately enter a liquid discharge conduit. Dialyzing liquid, conventionally water, hereinafter known as diii'usate, is introduced into the intermediate cells at the upper ends thereof and passes downwardly escaping through ports formed in the bottoms of the intermediate cells into liquid off-take conduit. In accordance with prior practice dialyzers have been so constructed that the recovery liquid or diifusate is discharged into a single ofi-take conduit and all of the alternate cells of the series discharge into a single off-take conduit for the dialysate, these conduits extending longitudinally of the dialyzer.

This type of dlalyzing apparatus has been employed with eminent success in the dialysis of many liquids. Whenever there is passed through the dialyzer either a heavy or viscous solution to be dialyzed, or a heavy or viscous recovery liquid, the overall efficiency and output of the machine falls oir very substantially, the very viscosity of I the liquid preventing the proper distribution of the viscous liquid to many of the cells. Thus, by reason of the fact that all of the alternate cells are supplied with liquid from a single liquid delivery conduit which extends longitudinally oi the dialyzer and is connected to the liquid supply conduit at one end only, those cells of the dialyzer which are remote from that end of the liquid delivery conduit which is immediately connected to the source of supply are only partially Supplied with the liquid to be dialyzed if, indeed, it is possible to force the viscous liquid through these relatively remote cells at all. It will be appreciated that a heavy or viscous liquid will, like any other liquid, seek the path of least resistance between the point of introduction and the point of withdrawal from the dialyzer. The cells immediately adjacent the point of introduction of the viscous liquid Vinto the dialyzer provide the dimension, the opposition to the flow of the liquid to be dialyzed through the delivery conduit will increase as the distance from its point of introduction increases. It is sometimes found that only a relatively few cells of a dialyzer, immediately adjacent the point of introduction of the viscous liquid, are transmitting proper volumes of liquid and operating at full efficiency and that the efficiency of operation of the remaining cells is gradually diminishing, those toward the rear of.

the machine being sometimes practically inactive. In order to make it possible to fully utilize all of the cells of a dialyzer, regardless of the sluggishness or excessive viscosity of the dialysate, or

ofv a recovery liquid, or diiusate, and without surrendering any advantage inherent in the design and construction of the conventional type of dialyzer, which has been in successful use for many years, we provide a simple but effective means .which may be incorporated in the conventional dialyzer, and which, when so incorporated, will make it easily possible to pass through the apparatus liquids of great viscosity without loss of operating efficiency or volume of production. In-accordance with our invention We divide the entire series of liquid cells into groups and supply these groups individually through separate liquid delivery conduits, each of these conduits being in communication with a common source of supply of liquid, and means being provided for separately controlling the iiow of liquid from the source of supply into the several delivery conduits. By observing the rates of iiow of liquid through the cells of the series, and by adjusting the flow control means, we can effectively bring about substantial equality of operation of the several groups of cells so that' each group will function, in substance, similarly to the other groups, approximate equalization of flow through all cells of the entire series brought about. Various regulating or controlling means may be employed, a preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view of the dialyzer;

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the same, partly broken away to show in part, its interior conu struction;

Figures 3 and 4 are top plan and bottom views, respectively, of the series of dialyzer frames, portions of the frames being broken away in order that the liquid passages formed therein may be more clearly perceived;

Figures 5 and 6 are' sections on lines 6-5 and 6-6 respectively, oi Figure 3; and

Figure 'I is a section on line v`l of Figure 2, upon a somewhat larger scale.v

Thedialyzer may be said to comprise a front end frame or pedestal indicated at II), which is ordinarily stationary, a rear pedestal or frame member II, likewise stationary, and frame -supporting rods I2 and I3, respectively, the ends of these rods passing through suitable apertures formed in the frame members III and II and,be' ing rigidly supported thereby in horizontal spaced relationship. A movable dialyzerl headll lindiplied with liquid through apertures formed in the cated at I5, this head having bearingportlons is and ii provided with cylindrical bores through which the rods I2 and I3 extend, the head Il being slldable along these rods and ajdrlving or adjusting means being provided. This means includes the telescoping thrust rod vI6 having iixed onone end a gear I9, theA teeth of 'which mesh with'those of a pinion 20, which pinion may be rotated by means o f a. hand wheel '2 I Dialyzer frames are indicated by the reference numerals F1 to F31, inclusive, each of these trames having two laterally extending arms of brackets A which extend over and slldably rest upon the upper members of the frames-of the intermediate cells, these apertures being indicated by the reference numerals C1 to C1, inclusive, Figure f 3. The apertures just'referredto are, however, not in communication with a single delivery conduit, apertures C1 to C5, inclusive. being in communication with delivery conduit 32, apertures C to C1, inclusive, with delivery conduit 33, and aperture C11 to 01, inclusive, with conduit 34. Conduits 32. 33 and 34 are, however, all in communication with a single fluid delivery conhorizontal rods I2 and I3, respectively, the various frames being thus slldably supported by the rods I2 and I3. 'Ihey may be forced intointimate contact by advancing the pressure head I6 toward the front end frame member I0, di. aphragms or membranes, indicated at M in Figure 2, being clamped between the respective frame and the entire space within and defined by the rectangular frames being divided by the membranes M into a series of narrow vertically disposed parallel cells, each membrane comprising a common wall between adjacent cells. The entire series of thirty-one cells may be considered as comprising alternate and intermediate cells, the intermediate cells being indicated by the reference numerals F1., F3, F5, etc., and the '4I -being rigidly attached by meansof bolts 4I tov the shiftable head I6 of the dialyzer and denduit. which conduit 'is indicated at 36 land `is shown to be connected to a supply pipe 3'I at one end and to communicate with the hollow interior of a cross block 40 at lthe opposite end, the block ing, with the adjacent outer face of head Il, a channel 42 for liquid.

It will be observed that liquid passing through supply pipe 31 in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3 will enter the supply conduit 36 at its front end, pass through this conduit into the space 42 and from there pass into the several delivery conduits 32 33 and 34. Such liquid may pass freely at all times into the open end of delivery conduit 34 and thus be conducted to the cells which are deilned, in part, by the frames F31, F23, F, F17, F'zg and F31, through apertures alternate cells by the reference numerals F2, F1,

F6, etc.

As clearly shown in Figures 3 and-4 of the drawings the top and bottom. or horizontal, members of some frames are each provided with a series of circular apertures, ilve in number, four in number and three in number, and when the trames are arranged as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the uppermost apertures oi' the series of frames are inregistration to form five, four and three elongated continuous channels or conduits, respectively. The same is true of the apertures in the lower cross members of the frames. The continuous aperture or duct which is indicated by the numeral 24, comprising thirty-one registering apertures formed in the series of frames, is provided for the removal of liquid from the apparatus and may be said to be a dialysate conduit for leading liquid which has been subjected to the dialyzing process from the apparatus to a point of disposal. Conduit 24 is in communi'- cation with the alternate cells through the relatively small or restricted apertures 25 formel-l in the upper cross members of the frames delining those cells. The generally similar conduit indicated at 26 and which comprises registering apertures formed in the lower cross membersof the frames, is for the recovery liquid or diilusate intermediate cells being in communication with this conduit through restricted aperture 2'I. The dialysate conduit 24 communicates with the oitake pipe 28. The conduit 26 is in communication with a pipe 30 by means of which the re- C11 to C16, respectively. Similarly liquid from the supply pipe 31 may enter conduits 32 and 33, when valves 44 and 45 are adjusted to permit such entry, and pass downwardly into the cells defined by the groups of frames F1, F1, F5, F", F9, and F11,l F13, F15, F3', yand F19 respectively. It will thus be seen that by the system of conduits and connecting apertures just described liquid issuing from a single source of supply and passing through conduit 36 is divided into three separate currents which pass, respectively, through the three laterally spaced delivery conduits 32, 33 and 34- into the upper ends of the cells of three different groups of cells, the groups being approximately equal, containing ve each with the exception of the right-hand group which contains six.

For supplying the cells of the three groups o alternate cells F2, F4, F0, FB, F10; F12, F14, F1, F15,

F20 and F11, F24, F2, F28, F00, with regulated curand 56 each of which supplies a different group of alternate cells. The ports leading to the first group of alternate cells are indicated by the reference symbols D1, D2, D1, D4, and D5. By regu,-

lating the valves 58 and 59 the effective areas of the entrance ports of the conduits 55 and 56 may be varied as desired and, by so doing the relative rates of flow into the three conduits 54, 55 and 56 may be varied. Where the groups are substantially equal in numbers of cells, as is the case in this instance, it will of course be desirable to divide the incoming current ci solution to be dialyzed into three streams delivering equal volumes of liquid per unit of time. Despite the fact that the conduits tt, et and it are unequal in length this objective may be readily realized by manipulating the valves until the port areas of these conduits bear the proper relationship to each other.

The dialyzer thus includes means for insuring that each alternate and intermediate cell may be supplied with its full liquid requirement for periect functioning of the machine` even though either or both. such liquids may be viscous to an extreme degree. Ordinarily the recovery liquid will be water and regulation of its flow into the intermediate cells by means of valves 4B and 45 will be unnecessary. It will be appreciated that the cells may be divided into any number of groups and that the number of cells in the various groups may be unequal in number if desired. Other types of :dow regulating devices may be employed in lieu of the valves shown, these being set forth by way of example only.

The stem of each valve shown is elongated and includes a threaded portion and a squared portion to be engaged by a turning tool. In the case oi valve tt (and all are alike) the threaded portion is indicated at die and a squared end at ttl. The threaded part has threaded engagement with a threaded bore formed in the block t@ so that, when the valve stem is rotated the valve, which is oi the conical type, is axially advanced or retracted with respect to its seat. The valve stem is suitably packed to preventiiuid leakage. Preferably the valve seat is formed on the end of a stainless steel tube tt extending through an aperture formed in the head id, all parts exposed to the liquids passing through the machine being preferably fabricated oi incorrodibie material. While the end of tube tit has been described as a. valve seat it will of course be understood that the valve will rarely, if ever, be iully seated. In the enlarged Figure 7 the rubber facings of the frames F1 and F2 are indicated at Fla and F2, respectively, but these facings are omitted from the frames in Figures 2, 3 and l, for the sake of clarity.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dialyzer; in combination, means denning a plurality of groups of liquid cells, each two adjacent cells of each group having a common membranous dividing wall, and means for passing liquid to be dialyzed through alternate cells, and recovery liquid through intermediate cells, of each group, said last mentioned means including a liquid supply conduit, a liquid delivery conduit for each group of cells, each such conduit being adapted to deliver liquid from said supply conduit to the cells of one cell group, and a single conduit to receive and conduct away the liquid escaping from all of the cells.

2. In a dialyzer, in combination, means defining a plurality of groups of liquid cells, each two adjacent cells of each group having a common membranous dividing wail, and means for passing liquid to be dialyzed through alternate cells, and recovery liquid through intermediate cells, of each group, said last mentioned means including a liquid supply conduit, a liquid delivery conduit for each group of cells, each such conduit being adapted to deliver liquid from said supply conduit to the cells of one cell group, and means the delivery conduits to insure delivery oi liquid to the cell groups in such relative volumes that the rate of ow of liquid through all cells of the dialyzer will be substantially the same.

3. In a dialyzer, in combination, means defining a plurality of groups of liquid cells, each two adjacent cells of each group having a common membranous dividing wall, and means for passing liquid to be dialyzed through alternate cells, and recovery liquid through intermediate cells, of each group, said last; mentioned means including a liquid supply conduit, a liquid delivery conduit for eachgroup of cells, each such conduit being adapted to deliver liquid from said supply conduit to the cells of one cell group, and valve means for regulating the relative rates of iiow of liquid through saiddelivery conduits, respectively, to the cell groups.

4. In a dialyzer, in combination, means derinmembranous dividing ing liquid to be dialyzed through alternate cells, and recovery liquid through intermediate cells, of each group, said last mentioned means including a liquid supply conduit, a liquid delivery conduit for each group of cells, each such conduit being adapted to deliver liquid from said supply conduit to the cells of one cell group, said delivery conduits being parallel and a control valve for positively regulating the flow of liquid through each oi a plurality of said delivery conduits.

5. in a dialyzer, in combination, means delining a series of cells for the reception of liquids, said series being divided into a plurality of groups of cells, liquid supply and oftake means associated with each cell group for passing liquid through alternate cells in a common direction, and through intermediate cells, each such means including a liquid delivery conduit communicating with alternate cells, and a common liquid supply source in communication with the inlet ends of the delivery conduits of the several cell groups.

6. In a dialyzer, incombination, means deiining a series of cells for the reception of liquids, said ,series being divided into a. plurality of groups of cells, liquid supply and oil'take means associated with each cell group for passing liquid through alternate cells in a common direction, and through intermediate cells, each such means including a liquid delivery conduit communicating with alternate cells, a common liquid supply source in communication with the inlet ends of of the several cell groups, and means for regulating the relative rates of flow of liquid through the several supply conduits.

7. In a dialyzer, in combination, means dening a series of cells for the reception of liquids, said series being divided into a plurality of groups of cells, liquid supply and oitake means associated with each cell group for passing liquid through alternate cells in a common direction,

and through intermediate cells, each such means including a liquid delivery conduit communicating with alternate cells, a common liquid supply source in communication with the inlet ends of the delivery conduits of the several cell groups and means for regulating the flow of liquid into the supply conduit of each cell group.

FREDERICK K. DANIEL. JOSEPH L. HUTCHINGS. 

